Registered Nursing (RNRS)

The first course in the nursing sequence, students are introduced to the applications of critical thinking and the nursing process needed to provide basic care to clients in a variety of community, long term and acute care settings. Emphasis is on promoting optimum health across the health-illness continuum. Clinical experiences provide the opportunity to practice basic skills in the skills lab and the clinical setting.

Introduction to Medical-Surgical Nursing I introduces the first year nursing student to concepts and practices as they relate to the non-critical patient in the medical-surgical environment. Through utilization of the nursing process, the student will recognize alterations in functioning or illness and formulate age-appropriate nursing interventions by utilizing the nursing process and critical thinking skills.

The course introduces students to basic understandings of the interaction between drugs and living systems and prepares students for system application of drug therapy throughout the remainder of the program. The course includes instruction in drug classes and schedules, principles of drug administration, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics across the life span, and legal and ethical issues related to drug administration.

This course focuses on integration and application of the nursing process as it relates to the nursing care of children and their families. Emphasis is on the concepts and skills related to age and developmental appropriate family centered care. Clinical experiences will provide opportunities for students to participate in therapeutic activities in a variety of pediatric settings.

This course will enable the student to attain knowledge and skills necessary to provide safe, effective, culturally sensitive physiological care using the nursing process and family centered approach for childbearing clients and their families. Clinical experiences will provide opportunities for students to participate in therapeutic activities during antepartum, intrapartum, and postpartum periods; as well as the care and monitoring of the newborn.

Medical Surgical Nursing II develops the first years nursing student's knowledge and skills as they relate to the adult non-critical moderately complex medical-surgical patient. Through utilization of the nursing process, the student will recognize alterations in functioning or illness and formulate age-appropriate nursing interventions. Psychomotor skills associated with moderately complex needs, medication administration and intravenous therapy will be studied and practiced. The impact of multiple nursing diagnoses on patient outcomes will be introduced.

This course is designed to assist the LVN in transitioning from the LVN role to the expected role of the ADN student. Course content includes nursing process, critical thinking, therapeutic communication, delegation skills, physical assessment and legal/ethical concerns. The on-campus lab provides opportunity for students to validate nursing skill and practice new skills like physical assessment.

This course examines the nursing care of selected individuals throughout the lifespan who are experiencing complex alterations in wellness involving multiple systems. Clinical experiences in local health care agencies and computerized simulation manikins and scenarios provide students opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to actual car of clients.

This course presents the principles of mental health and the social, economic, cultural and physiological factors that predispose a person to dysfunctional human behavior. Emphasis is placed on the therapeutic role of the nurse in promotion, preventing, maintaining and restoring individuals to optimal mental well-being. Concepts of therapeutic communication, age related concerns, treatment modalities, and delivery of mental health services are included. Clinical laboratory experiences are provided in community care facilities.

This course is a continuation of the nursing care of selected individuals throughout the life span who are experiencing complex alterations in wellness involving multiple systems. Care of clients experiencing multi-system failure and severe trauma is also included. Clinical exeriences in local health care agencies provide students opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to actual care of patients.

This course socializes students into the graduate registered nurse role. It focuses on the exploration and analysis of contemporary nursing practice, current trends, and issues impacting nursing care delivery. Advanced leadership and management concepts are discussed as part of the nursing role. Clinical experiences will be provided in RNRS 251.

This course provides knowledge regarding the care of geriatric clients, including facts and theories of aging and cultural perspectives as well as specific information about each body system and alterations associated with aging. The course concludes with a discussion of gerontological issues.